In Sermon Illustrations: "God Power Restraint"

Rescue From The Biggest Prison

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 7, 2009

RESCUE FROM THE BIGGEST PRISON An Australian mining town will always remember the year of the dramatic rescue. An earthquake killed one miner and trapped two others 3,000 feet under the ground. Days turned into weeks as miners bore through tons of rock; rescuers could only work one at a time on ...read more

Tags: Atonement

Dying To Save Her Father

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2009

DYING TO SAVE HER FATHER The great Charles Spurgeon told a story that demonstrated a person’s concern for an unsaved family member. A rather young girl in Spurgeon’s congregation who had a terminal illness approached her pastor one day with thoughts about her upcoming funeral. She spoke of her ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Satisfied ...

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Mar 13, 2009

“Satisfied Completely!” The daughter of a New York rabbi tells this story. “My father taught me to read the Bible in Hebrew as a young child. We began at Genesis. When we came to Isaiah, he skipped the fifty-third chapter. I asked him why. He said it was not necessary for Jews to read that ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Christian Church

What Must I ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2009

WHAT MUST I DO? Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book on golf has sold more than a million copies. It is one of the biggest things in the history of sports books. In the 1920s, Penick bought a red spiral notebook and began jotting down observations about golf. He never showed the book to anyone except ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:29-31

Tags: Salvation

The Key To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

THE KEY TO FREEDOM The great "prince of preachers," Charles Haddon Spurgeon, used to tell the story of a duke who boarded a galley ship and went below to talk with the criminals manning the oars. He asked several of them what their offenses were. Almost every man claimed he was innocent, blaming ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:38-40

Tags: Salvation

In The Film ‘saving Private Ryan' Soldiers Are ...

Contributed by Nigel Heath on Aug 2, 2009

In the film ‘Saving Private Ryan’ soldiers are sent out to find him and bring him home because his brothers have been killed in the war. It was an act of mercy for his mother’s sake. Several of the soldiers who seek for him are killed – and one whispers his dying words to Private Ryan ‘Earn this’ ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

The Road To ...

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Aug 5, 2009

“The Road to Safety” A news correspondent, forced to jump from a crippled plane over New Guinea, landed safely. He sought a way out of the jungle. Up mountains, down the rivers, through the thick jungle growth he traveled, only to return discouraged to his starting point. Day by day, week by ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Christian Church

The Practice Of ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Aug 6, 2009

The Practice of Restitution. Do those lofty ideals ever get put into practice? Yes, by specific individuals. Years ago we had in this church a man who had been saved after beginning to attend here. He was serious about Christ and had a strong desire to witness for Christ. The apostle Peter gave a ...read more

Tags: Repentance

Denomination: Pentecostal

Soap Opera ...

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Sep 2, 2009

"Soap opera prayers" Too many times we pray as a LAST resort! Years ago (before she knew better) my wife used to watch a soap opera called GENERAL HOSPITAL. How many of you ever saw that … now be honest. Of course, I had NO interest in it whatsoever --- I mean who cares what Luke and Laura ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Deceptive Flowers

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Sep 22, 2009

DECEPTIVE FLOWERS I have a friend who is a pastor at a church in the lower 48 who was telling me about the flowers in his church. His church, like ours, will take the flowers that were in the worship service that morning, and give them to shut ins or someone who is in the hospital. He said he ...read more

Tags: Lies

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Years Ago A Young Black Child Was Growing Up In ...

Contributed by Rev. Richard Norman on Oct 6, 2009

Years ago a young black child was growing up in Cleveland, in a home which he later described as “ materially poor but spiritually rich.” One day a famous athlete, Charlie Paddock, came to his school to speak to the students. At the time Paddock was considered “ the fastest human being ...read more

Tags: Sports

Denomination: Nazarene

Charles Stanley On Forgiveness

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 22, 2009

CHARLES STANLEY ON FORGIVENESS Charles Stanley, in his book The Gift of Forgiveness, states, "A person who has an unforgiving spirit is always the real loser, much more so than the one against whom the grudge is held." He adds, "Un-forgiveness, by its very nature, prevents individuals from ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Back When The Generals Led Their Troops Into ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jan 4, 2010

Back when the generals led their troops into battle rather than directing them from a ‘situation room’ half a world away, it is said that Alexander the Great’s position was about to be over-run by the enemy. Turning to a valiant young soldier at his side, the great military genius implored the boy ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Pow's Will To Live--French Surgeon Removes His ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

A POW’s Will to Live--French Surgeon Removes His Own Appendix When the French surrendered to General Giap and the Vietnamese at Dien Phen Phu, the long line of survivors were led on foot toward Hanoi. A French army surgeon among the prisoners realized that his appendix was in trouble. What would he ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2

Tags: Endurance

Jesus Was Not A Victim Of Fate

Contributed by C Jordan on Apr 2, 2010

JESUS WAS NOT A VICTIM OF FATE "Before the scourging began, Jesus was stripped of His garments and bent low over a low post, with wrists and ankles shackled into that position. The instrument used for scourging was a piece of wood fourteen to eighteen inches long, circular in shape, to which were ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: *other

It's Better Higher Up  PRO

Contributed by Jesse Roncales on Apr 15, 2010

IT'S BETTER HIGHER UP There was an old woman who was always bright, cheerful, and optimistic, even though she was confined to her room because of illness. She lived in an attic in the fifth floor of an old building. A friend decided to visit her one day and brought with her a wealthy woman. Since ...read more

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Dave Mcpherson Told This ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 6, 2010

Dave McPherson told this story: A U.S. Air Force transport plane with its captain and 5 crew members was flying over Alaska in the mid-50s when they entered an unusually fierce snowstorm. The navigator contacted an air base only to be told that he had veered several hundred miles off course. ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Pentecostal

Emergency Locator On Raft Compared To Not Being ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2010

Emergency Locator on Raft Compared to Not Being Able to Hide Sin A big part of his prayer is confession. Nehemiah confessed his sin. He owned the problem. They were sins not simply of commission but of omission. Trying to hide our sins from God is impossible. He knows all about them. Numbers 32:23 ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 32:23

Tags: Sin Exposed

The Idea Of The Cloven Tongues Has Always ...

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on May 29, 2010

The idea of the cloven tongues has always bothered me. At least, that’s the way we usually see this phrase translated. When I was young, that really used to bother me. I’d watched all those old westerns where the Native Americans would say, “White man speak with forked tongue.” I didn’t like the ...read more

Tags: Tongue, Gifts

Denomination: *other

Faith And Works  PRO

Contributed by David Parks on Aug 26, 2010

FAITH AND WORKS There was once a Scotsman who rowed people across a river. On one oar he had carved the word 'faith' and on the other oar he had carved the word 'works'. One day as he was rowing, one of the passengers noticed the carvings and asked him about them. The Scotsman did not reply but ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:3-4

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ